


Mojave Bonding Happy Fun Times

by Cirilee



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Benny Lives, Bonding through Adversity, Caesar's Legion, Enemy Mine - Freeform, Gen, Legion-Aligned Courier, M/M, Male Bonding, Slavery, and arcade lives too, plays with it so im also gonna tag arcade/benny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-10 13:23:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12912819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cirilee/pseuds/Cirilee
Summary: Arcade has been sold by a legion-aligned courier, and Benny gets crucified (was also sold and tricked by the courier) - will they settle their differences and escape together, thereby bonding and maybe even becoming friends -?





	1. wretched hive of scum and villainy

The heat.

The heat was slowly killing him. That had to be it. The whole story about him getting enslaved, tricked and sold by the sickest pussycat to ever waltz into his casino, thereby ruining his life – yes of course that **could** have something to do with it.

But mostly it was just the heat.

Finally someone in this godforsaken legion camp was merciful enough to start towering over him menacingly, granting him some shadow.

„Will you look at that – it’s Benny. That prick with the ugly suit“

Benny didn‘t move.

The legionnaire crouched down to his eye level.

„Heard the news?“, Benny could hear the ugly grin through the soldier‘s voice, „Tonight! It’s gonna happen tonight! Are you excited? I’m excited!“

Benny wasn’t excited. He wasn’t even terrified. Ever since he was left in front of Caesar’s tent with his arms bound behind his back, kneeling on the ground, like the sack of potatoes he deep down knew he was, he didn’t really feel anything anymore.

His pussycat didn’t love him. Didn’t even care enough to hate him. He’d been just a card she needed for her set of caravan and now the game had been played and won. He hadn’t even been a player.

For all these reasons and more, the legion soldier bullying him didn‘t get the response he thought he’d get and simply, kind of awkwardly, left him, leaving Benny to roast in the mojave sun once more.

He was going to get crucified tonight. Benny felt bored. If only he could make things up with her, make things alright again, show her he didn’t really mean to trick and double cross her, just like she double crossed him.

That didn’t include telling her the truth of course, or being any kind of honest. Just getting another chance to trick her again, to mess with her again. That would be **fun**.

What a pair they were. Two slimy, two-faced rattlesnakes, devouring each other’s tails.

Benny was just in the process of thinking up another poetic metaphor for him and the courier’s non-relationship, when shouting interrupted his creative process.

„Why don’t you make like Odysseus and get lost!“

Someone stormed out of Caesar’s tent.

It was the crazy bitch all his dreams were about!

„Courier! Courier, you forgot someone very important, and he’s lying right here, can you guess, it’s m-“

That’s about as far as he got with his reunion speech, before sharp pain exploded in his right cheek, crash landing him face first into the hot sand.

She wasn’t stupid. He could fantasize all he wanted about their mutual hate for each other, that the desert had allegedly melted it into liquid lava love – in reality they were enemies and Benny wanted revenge.

Who had been that voice talking about Odysseus? Didn’t sound like someone native to the legion.

_-*-_-*_-*-_-*_-*-_*-_*-_

Arcade had wanted to say a lot more and wasn’t nearly done getting all his anger out, so he just stewed for a while, sitting at the table in Caesar’s tent and trying to work out what went wrong with his life. How does someone start out as a doctor, scientist and intellectual, cared for and caring for others, and end up as the personal physician of a megalomaniac warlord.

Although of course, there was one possible benefit to all of this. The dictator’s life now rested in Arcade‘s hands – he could murder Caesar in plain sight and no one would be quick enough to stop him. Coincidentally, dying on a cross didn't sound so bad. Your organs give up after a few hours, right? Don’t you already die from shock even while they’re nailing you to it?

Wait- did the legion nail their convicts to a cross or tie them to it? Arcade realized how important the answer to that fun little trivia question actually was. The blood loss he’d suffer from the nail version would kill him way quicker than the long arduous days he’d endure if he were to just hang there.

Arcade slowly got up and started walking in restless circles.

„You're Arcade“

The almighty, glorious, quite underwhelming once he actually stands before you, figure of Caesar had appeared before him. Staring holes into his forehead.

For a few moments more he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t even aware there was an answer expected from him. Before he knew it, his chin was in Caesar’s relentless grip, his jaw already aching.

„Yes, that’s me“, Arcade ground out between grit teeth.

Caesar let go, his eyes lighting up, „Delighted. You don’t seem very bright. You were way wittier with the Courier“

„She brings out the best in me“, Arcade delivered with an eye roll.

Caesar laughed the most unnatural laugh ever, it lasted two seconds. "You’re still intact.“

„Sic semper tyrannis“

All of a sudden Caesar's face grew rigid and he smiled. "You want to provoke me. Do that if you want to. Considering the situation you're in, it's somewhat amusing even"

And that was that.

Arcade would serve this man – either until Arcade decided to kill him and get crucified as punishment; or until Caesar himself got tired of him and let him be crucified.

He missed his boring tent and boring research. He missed the days when he wandered the desert with that blasted Courier.

_-*-_-*_-*-_-*_-*-_*-_*-_

Tens of hours had come and went and Benny was still alive.

That‘s kind of the main problem, when you’ve been crucified.

He had tried counting them (the hours) but that proved too difficult so he resorted to counting the various ways he’d pull out his tormentor’s teeth, once he’d free himself.

He was a terrible shot (as his recent predicament brought to him by a still living courier proved) but he still knew the good old boot rider traditions by heart.

And he **would** get off that cross.

And he **would** piss all over that damn camp, get his platinum chip, kill everyone in that damn camp, have a drink – maybe not in that order but he had the basics covered.

Benny had never been a vengeful man. For most of his life he’d played long games, never one for continuous fist fights out in the scorching sun.

But this particular cesspool of scum and treachery was most deserving of a change of heart.

„Look out!“, one of the frumentarii surrounding him shouted, „He’s getting that faraway look in his eyes! Degenerates are not allowed to faint while they’re supposed to be suffering! Let’s throw rocks at him!“

„Don’t adults like you have something better to do“

Not half of a second had gone by after Arcade said it and he already regretted doing so.

Well, too late to stop something that had already been set in motion.

„Maybe rape some more defenceless woman – that’ll fill up that general emptiness inside“, he suggested further, positioning himself between Benny and the soldiers.

One of them (he was the biggest of the five men) slowly advanced on the scientist.

„If you weren’t directly responsible for Caesar’s wellbeing, you’d be dead where you stand“

„Besides, raping women is fun!“, one of the younger ones interrupted.

Arcade sighed, „Caesar himself sent me. He wants to know if the Casino owner is still alive“

„Good luck with answering that philosophical question“, one of them muttered, but eventually they all left.

Arcade and Benny were alone.

Benny scoffed. That’s all he really could do. His arms felt like prosthetics made of lead, his mouth like it was filled with steel wool. A ‘thank you’ was the last thing he was thinking about.

Arcade could have related to that, had Benny voiced those troubles, but right now the only thing he perceived was that horrible stench coming from the dying man. Benny wouldn’t survive the next day.

They stared at each other some more and then a spark ignited between them. Or at least, that’s what Benny felt in that moment. His chest swelled with hope and furious righteousness at the thought alone of it.

„You don’t wanna be here, don’t you, pal? And yet they let you run free!“

„I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but … there’s a guarded fence and guards and guard dogs around the camp“

„Right, of course, I understand“, Benny smiled derisively. Who was this doctor fooling? Danger emanated from him. He could act innocent and clueless all he wanted, but Benny felt it, could taste it on his tongue.

This doctor’s mission statement wasn’t about saving lives. Neither dictators, nor civilians would survive once Benny ignited that flame in him.

„How about a truce?“

Arcade would have laughed, but he couldn’t muster up enough energy.

„A truce with the guy who wanted to overthrow New Vegas after House gave him a chance for a new life –?“

Benny deflated. „So that’s a no then?“

Arcade decided he did enough good for the day by extending Benny’s suffering for a few hours more.

Not even for a second did he consider siding with that slimeball. Better than the courier he might be, but changing one snake for another, slightly different colored snake wouldn’t be productive.

No, what **would** be productive, would be to continue to mope around the camp, feeling sorry for himself. He’d continue doing that.


	2. arcade vs caesar - dawn of pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benny gets punished some more

This wasn’t right. This was ridiculous.

He was tired; he’d spent the night awake by Caesar’s side (apparently Caesar had wanted to show him off to his other generals while planning on their next strategy – which Arcade had caught himself feeling flattered by, which in turn made him angry, which in quick succession made the whole affair nerve wracking. As every day following this one would feel like no doubt.)

Now it was 6am in the morning and every fibre in Arcade told him to go back to that clown up that mountain and actually help him off of his cross.

Impossible!

Lying to those brutes out there about him being sent by Caesar - yes, he could do that, but a trying to exonerate someone hanging on a cross from his sentence would probably turn some heads. Most notably, his own. And Arcade may be good with snarky comebacks, but … actually, wait, no. That was all he was good with.

He couldn’t even help himself.

Right now, for instance he was being relentlessly assaulted by none other than the great Caesar. And with philosophical enigmas no less.

„You seem absent-minded? Do I bore you?“

Caesar didn’t sound angry at all. Instead of putting the threat in his voice, he put it all in the performance of his four closest bodyguards.

One of them tightened the grip on the handle of his hunting knife, another one subtly gritted his teeth. All of them wore terribly ugly baseball hats, spiked with gecko teeth, these Arcade found to be a whole other threat by itself.

„How do you do it?“, Arcade asked out of nowhere, hoping to come up with a good enough question to be able to distract Caesar again, „Making mindless drones out of living, breathing humans - like … like your bodyguards?“

Now Caesar smiled. Not the topic he wanted to discuss, but one of his favourites no doubt. 

„Well you see, dear Arcade, …“

He slowly seated himself on his throne, and ceremoniously droned on and on about how they were indeed still living, breathing humans and how he seduced them to his perfect world. This world where everyone knew the rules and they had to obey and something about the circle of life and …

Arcade’s thoughts were already somewhere else entirely.

Back to that casino owner apparently.

He didn’t even know his name. A shame really. And a definite 7/10 on the handsome meter too. How old was this guy supposed to be? Late thirties probably, but that was still way too young for someone to die.

He’d been the owner and main _chairman_ of the Tops. That much Arcade did know. The courier had mostly referred to him as checkered-suit-asshole.

What had the man even done, that made him such a bad guy? Now that Arcade thought about it, the only information he had, was given to him by the Courier - a person he would never ever trust again and probably be haunted by in the coming weeks.

With a slight sting in his chest he realized, he hadn’t even started to process all _that_ horrible business. A _friend_ , someone who had saved his live countless of times on various adventures traveling through the mojave. That same person, that friend, had actually sold him to the legion.

And it hadn’t even been a good deal! She hadn’t wanted anything in return!

Arcade was getting angry and it showed in his face.

And Caesar noticed.

There wasn’t even the hint of a warning, both his arms were seized at once, two of the four guards getting way too close for comfort in the span of seconds.

„Don’t you think you should apologize for not paying attention to your lord?“

A tense silence prevailed, but Arcade didn’t let it last for long. His anger at the Courier mixed itself with the hopelessness of his situation and it made a dangerous cocktail.

With the snarkiest tone of voice in his repertoire he answered, „When’s the exam then? Or can I read all of this in my textbooks on how to brutally execute people you don’t like?“

One of the soldiers took initiative and finally backhanded him.

„Ten lashes“, Caesar ordered, as casual as only he could. This was fun to him, Caesar realized, and Arcade figured as much.

“They really are just mindless drones”, Arcade persisted, even while being dragged away by said drones, “You miss the company of actual humans. People who are allowed to have opinions. That’s why you let me speak out, that’s why you have conversations with me. Kind of dickish to punish me for something you clearly enjoy having”

Caesar rose from his throne, following his soldiers, as they were leading Arcade down the winding path to the main gathering place. Contrary to the belief of the men holding him (who all pretty much thought he was a crazy man), Arcade actually did quite dread those ten lashes he was about to get and was desperately looking for a way out of the mess he got himself in.

Well **he** didn’t really get himself into this mess, did he? That was that blasted Courier woman, his friend, who betrayed him, and-

_Concentrate, Arcade!_

“I’m sorry, my … lord!” A shaky start, and he couldn’t even see Caesar’s reaction, because he was being walked in front of the guy. But Arcade pressed on. “I never intended to be rude. While being entranced by your enlightening and inspiring words I experienced an epiphany, brought to me by your … brilliance”

Ugh. This was more humiliating than getting whipped in front of a cheering crowd could ever be.

They stopped midway down the hill. Arcade’s shoulders stiffened.

“Go on”, Caesar said, „Tell me about this epiphany”

“That casino owner”

It had blurted out of his mouth before he could stop himself. A vague idea of a hint of a plan had formed in Arcade’s mind. But it wasn’t forming quick enough.

“I talked to him the other day and he told me about this platinum chip you acquired”

They weren’t moving, that meant Caesar was still listening.

Arcade yearned for a hurricane to interrupt him, something, anything.

“He apparently knows a lot more than he let on initially, but of course I couldn’t have interrogated it out of him yesterday. But you, Caesar, on the other hand”, now this idea was gaining steam, “You know how to handle people, how to mold them to your will”

“The man is on the brink of death”, one of the soldiers commented, “I doubt he’s still responsive after two days on the cross”

Finally, Caesar’s voice resounded, “We have a healer right in our midst. Bring me the casino owner. And will somebody please ask him what his name is”

.-*-..-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*-

The rest of the day Arcade had spent in an empty slave pen. Apparently he still had to endure time-out for his horrible crime of not listening to Caesar for a while.

A soldier here and there gave him dirty looks and that one really horrible guy spat on him while muttering the legion’s favourite cuss word “degenerate”, but besides that he had a pretty nice time, all alone and unbothered in his cage.

His thoughts were a whole other beast though. On the one hand, the Courier turning out to be a terrible person, didn’t necessarily mean she didn’t tell him the truth about the checkered-suit-asshole. On the other hand, no matter what the guy did before, Arcade potentially doomed him to days, even weeks of torment, just because he wanted to escape his measly punishment.

That was a fact.

This was all just pathetic on Arcade’s part and he felt sad and ashamed, curling himself up in the farthest corner of the pen. He always knew he had a bit of a cowardly streak when it came to immediate pain.

But with enough free time you could make any situation sound great in your mind. At least Arcade would nurse him back to health (somewhat) (hopefully not to have him be tortured again and again for some useless chip information the man maybe didn’t even have).

Besides, the man surely wasn’t without any faults or sins, that was clear. He wouldn’t let himself get tortured if all he had to give up was some outrageous info on some insignificant platinum chip.

That chairman didn’t shoot someone in the head, because he wanted to do good with that chip. And people like that weren’t deserving of any of Arcade’s pity. Or at least, that’s what Arcade had finally convinced himself to think, by the time the sun set.

Also, at that exact same time, the cage door got brutally ripped open and a body got shoved in, collapsing on the dirt in front of Arcade like a ragdoll.

It was the man! The casino man!

“Patch him up!”, came the terse order.

“With what, the dirt on the ground? What did you to him?”, Arcade shouted back, but the soldier had already left.

Arcade had still been maddeningly calm until now, but now he panicked.

He turned the body over, searched for a pulse, found one, ripped some cloth from his coat and tied it around wounded arms, chest and for the rest he didn’t have enough so he used what was left of that blasted checkered suit.

That reminded him.

“What’s your name?”

Of course, the chairman didn’t reply. For a while it seemed like he would never reply, and Arcade continued working silently on those wrist bruises, tying them up with checkered rags and repositioning him, so that he didn’t directly lie on his worst wounds.

No, really, **what was he supposed to patch him up with?** Arcade was so frustrated. Now he felt guilty **and** useless.

“Benny”, the man breathed out.

Only now Arcade realized how scorched the poor man’s face was. After hours in the sun, his skin looked like it had been boiled and melted and maybe went through a meat grinder as well for good measure.

“Gecko”, the man whispered and then he grinned like an idiot, and patted Arcade’s cheek. With his last ounce of strength it seemed, he wheezed out something that sounded like “Thanks for doing all … that … babe” and then finally rested his head in the crux of Arcade’s arm holding him.

Well shit. This man had a name. And instead of letting him die on that hill, with his dignity halfway intact, Arcade just sentenced him to a way worse punishment.


	3. caesar is getting tired of this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally some murder! :D

_Thanks for doing all that?_

The tone he said it with made it sound sincere, but the wording seemed almost sarcastic. And considering the context …

Arcade decided to worry about it.

But he got sleepier with every second and this Benny character was now lying in his lap, making his legs feel heavy.

And sleep sounds near always like a good idea. Except for those times when Vulpes Inculta’s voice starts talking directly behind you.

„We asked this profligate what he ‚forgot‘ to tell us about the platinum chip. After calling Caesar a“, Vulpes paused here. Finally he settled on, „A fink? After that he stayed silent. Weird“

Arcade shrugged. „I’m not responsible for you children“

There was a cracking sound, and the butt of Vulpes‘ hunting rifle hit him square in the back. That lame quip hadn’t been worth it.

Benny stirred a bit, but didn’t react further.

Through the waves of pain, Arcade could make out Vulpes’ final bleak order slash warning: „Talk to him. You probably know how to ease people into things. Tell him the pain he suffered today is only going to be a tiny fraction of what he’ll experience tomorrow. You know. Stuff like that“

Arcade knew.

„Please go away“ He tried to make it sound sarcastic, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Vulpes left.

Hopefully. Arcade couldn’t turn his head without making the pain in his back worse or hurting Benny.

„Is he gone?“, came a meek whisper from the _fink_ beneath him. 

Arcade nodded his head.

Benny sat up, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. Finally he managed to position himself in a somewhat comfortable lie. 

And then he looked at Arcade. 

„I’m not one for holding grudges, sweetcakes, but these roman hoodlums told an interesting yarn about you ratting on me knowing somethin’ about some potato chip-“ 

Arcade had to stop him, „Yes, Caesar probably told you that I was the one who suggested you may be withholding information and I’m sorry, I mean that doesn’t make anything any better, but I was- I mean-“ 

„THAT REALLY WAS YOU?“, Benny still whispered, but this was a particular loud and angry whisper. 

„I’m really sorry I-“ 

From one second to the next Benny’s face changed from furious to serene and it couldn’t have looked any more fake on Caesar himself. „Babe, hey, Baby no, don’t sweat it, it’s ok, I forgive you“ 

Arcade physically recoiled from that, the corners of his mouth curling in disgust. Benny didn’t let up, „I know you’re scared and alone, but the Ben Man’s gonna take care of you. Don’t you worry your pretty little head“ 

Arcade had to put a stop to this, whatever it was, „You should try to sleep“ 

Rough fingertips wandered along Arcade’s jaw and suddenly stopped, to caress it where his neck met his ear. 

„You’re not at fault, you were just scared. That walking fashion disaster probably tortured that out of you. Lots of people say lots of stuff while they’re in pain. Oh!“ He shouted now, theatrically. “I can’t stand the thought of my honey pot being hurt!” 

Arcade was finally getting what Benny was (very sloppily) trying to do. 

With as cold a voice as he could muster, he listed: „I still don’t know if I can trust you. I’m still not open for a truce with you. By the way, is this how you usually convince people to your side?“ 

Benny wrinkled his nose, „Not always. But _you_ feel guilty. I can manipulate you in a whole new way! You didn’t have to lie to Caesar about me. It’s something you had no control over, and now you feel bad. Otherwise you would have treated me way more rotten just now.“ 

„Well yes, but-“ 

„You have moral reservations“ Benny concluded, „That’s your weakness and – full offense – I’m going to exploit the hell out of it“ 

„Now wait just a“ 

„You **owe** me“ 

Benny loved saying those words, as much as Arcade hated hearing them and with these their pact was sealed. 

_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*- 

The next day, a plan was going to be hatched, and it would be an awesome, swashbuckling, epic venture.

Too bad that with the sun back up, Arcade was able to take a better look at Benny’s condition and was less than amused and rather horrified.

Benny for one, was just as chirpy as the previous night.

„You might owe me more than I bargained for yesterday“, he commented in between painful breaths.

Arcade bit his lip and didn’t reply.

Ribs fractured, black and blue patches all around the stomach and tiny, but gruesome cracks all around the fingers.

Fingernails missing.

„What did they ask you?“, Arcade finally blurted out, „Why didn’t you just lie to them about the chip? You’re not very smart, are you?“

„Because if they’d get what they want they’d kill me. And coincidentally I’ve decided I don’t wanna die anymore“

„You’d rather be tortured every day for the rest of your life?“

„I’d rather _live_ “

Arcade raised an eyebrow.

„I’m gonna kill every living thing in this camp“

He paused 

“Except for you“

„You’re disgusting“

Benny flinched. „Where did that come from?“

Arcade had had about enough. „That chip. That robot army in that bunker. What are your plans with that?“

„I’m gonna let you in on a little secret“ Benny leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper, hurting his back in the process. With the dramatic tension thereby shattered, he continued without glamour. „I may sound like someone honest folks don’t shake hands with. Thing is: I’m the only one even worthy of ruling New Vegas“

„You might, and I use that word carefully, _might_ , be the only one with these delusions about your person“

Benny scoffed, which devolved into a cough.

„I want to help you escape, actually“, Arcade admitted, „Part of why is, it would mean I would get out of here too. But for all that to work, I also need to at least _attempt_ to know the person I’m partnering up with“

„Didn’t work out with that Courier“

There was no venom in Benny’s voice, no need to counter argue a useless point. Just a stating of fact.

Arcade didn’t react.

He also didn’t need to because Vulpes was at their door.

„Doctor“ His voice sounded as gleeful as his words were formal. „Last night I omitted some information, so you could concentrate on your work.”

“That’s very considerate of you, thank you”, Arcade snarked back.

“This disgusting individual“- Here, Vulpes pointed to Benny.- „He told us you _also_ know something about that chip.“

Arcade’s guts felt way more heavier than 2 seconds ago.

„Considering Caesar could just send for the Courier herself and ask her, my Lord was getting slowly tired of all this nonsense.“ Vulpes concluded. 

Arcade risked one glance at the delinquent sitting next to him but only received the most moronic poker face in return. 

Maybe this was all secretly genius. Arcade felt a headache coming up as he was trying to wrap his brain around finding a possible benefit to Vulpes being mad at _both_ of them. 

Who, by the way, was smiling less with every passing second. 

This was sabotage, clean and simple.

“I was only the Courier’s follower and doctor. What would _I_ know about that blasted chip?”

Vulpes’ face went rigid, “Caesar wants his surgery done tomorrow. And he wants Gecko dead today. Coincidentally, the Courier’s gonna visit and Caesar will clear this whole chip mess up with her.”

That actually made Benny react and his smug face melted into sheer panic.

Vulpes noticed. “That’s right, chairman. She was devastated when she had to leave you to do Caesar’s bidding and couldn’t personally attend to your demise. It’s a truly happy occasion for the whole camp”

Benny had various expressions going through his face, but ultimately didn’t reply, while Arcade wasn’t physically able to offer anything in terms of comebacks.

The Courier was coming back, and they were going to have to look at that face again.

Both Benny and Arcade were thinking about that.

“No fucking way”, Arcade finally shouted, and it wasn’t a battle cry or anything, it wasn’t even that loud or forceful, mostly it was just a pathetic and forlorn sigh, but Benny seemed to get inspired by it.

Because suddenly Benny was lying on top of Vulpes, both lying on the ground, blood encrusted hands scrunching up the taller man's throat. Vulpes counteracted by having shoved his right heel into his assailant's stomach and kicking continuously, but the kicks just got weaker with every try. The struggle was mostly silent, only soft scraping of feet in the rough sand, furious gasps from Vulpes and Benny’s low growl, while he continuously ground the pale throat in his wrists into nothing.

“Benny?”, Arcade whispered.

It was still pretty early in the morning, but their cage wasn’t that far off from the rest of the camp and literally anytime someone could walk around the corner and discover them and they were so close, they were so close to actually escaping,

“You’re killing him”, Arcade bluntly commented.

Benny flinched, as if he was slowly waking up, “Right” Within seconds he looted the unconscious body and stood up with a ripper in his left grasp, Arcade’s upper arm firmly in his right, he stormed out of the cage with him, into the near empty road, leading up to Caesar’s hill. A lowly frumentarii tent was located in his nearest vicinity. They paused for a moment. Voices could be heard, coming from the inside. Two or three men.

Incultas’ ripper was unceremoniously shoved into Arcade’s hands.

“Keep watch”, Benny growled. Then he disappeared into the tent.

The most Arcade could hear were choked off screams. Then utter silence.

Benny stumbled out, a whole arsenal of weapons of every kind strapped to his back, armour plates arbitrarily belted onto his shoulder and knees.

Arcade was still computing what had just happened, and was still happening. He could only stare at Benny, who gave him that smile, that made his face punchable in the worst way.

“What? I said i was gonna kill everyone in this camp”


	4. if you love someone let them go and all that kinda garbage talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> benny and arcade survive together -- but there's some trust issues ya know

„It was the tent with the wounded wasn’t it- that one tent you raided to impress me? It was, wasn’t it.“

Arcade let out a century long sigh and continued: „You actually had me impressed for that one time“ 

Benny’s mouth being swollen shut, he couldn’t really reply. Although, even someone as frequently eloquent as him would have had a hard time coming up with a dignified comeback for that one. 

„How could you ever fit into that suit. You’re as short as you are heavy“ 

Benny huffed. „That don’t make any sense“, he wanted to say but could only gurgle. Arcade continued to half carry, half support him. Both of them had leg related injuries, so they were both kind of crawling along through the desert. This was not how they had envisioned their magnificent escape to look at the end.

Arcade had a knife stuck in his right heel, and an even bigger knife a bit further up. Benny’s legs had both been flattened by someone feeling very enthusiastic about hammers. 

Then of course there were some missing teeth, broken ribs, infected wounds beginning to feel numb, classics really. 

The only original injury fate or life or whatever power had the final say on these things, came up with, was the small piece of wood that was once part of a legion spear, still painfully lodged in Benny‘s cheek, missing his eye by a few millimetres. It ached horribly and Benny would have loved nothing more than just fall face first in the sand and rub the thing out on the ground, he just wanted it **out**. 

„Come on, twink“ Benny gurgled. Arcade was gradually walking slower, movements getting more sluggish. Benny wanted to rest somewhere safe, and _soon_ , for Maria’s sake. „Shut up“ Arcade grunted. 

Benny finally decided to do something, and swooped the blond man up in a firearm’s carry and brought them to safety in a nearby town where there was a whole buffet waiting for them and- 

Benny blinked and the buffet was gone. 

_Ugh._

„They are still following us. They don’t have cars. Doesn’t mean that’s an advantage for us, but-“ Arcade paused. His tongue felt so heavy he wanted to spit out. 

They were both out of breath by now. And they could _still_ hear those damned legion assholes shouting in the distance. 

Were they really worth all this trouble? 

Arcade had had about enough. Traveling with the Courier he knew they must be somewhere near Helios One. 

Which was also near an awesome cazador nest. 

„Say, Benny“ 

„Hn“ 

„Wouldn’t it be nice seeing those roman clowns get stung to death by killer butterflies?“ Benny didn’t immediately react (for one, he didn’t really know what clowns were) but a warm smile soon started lighting up his grimy face. 

He nodded as enthusiastically as he could, immediately regretting it, scrunching his face up in pain. 

Arcade was already calculating. He was smart, yes, but he was no tactical genius. He knew he wouldn’t be as fast with Benny to carry along, who couldn’t even _attempt_ to walk alone in his condition. 

„Listen, Benny“, that name still felt unfitting for the checkered suit asshole, „You’re gonna hide behind these rocks and **not move**. I’ll be the bait and lead them right to the cazador nest“ 

Benny’s smile froze, his eyes betraying several fears. 

Arcade didn’t lie. „I don’t know if it’s wise for me to come back for you. But I carried you all this way already, didn’t I? I already outed myself as a chump.“ 

Talking made his tongue even more heavier than it already was, so Arcade stopped and let Benny drop in the shade of an abandoned car wreck, surrounded by some lovely cacti. 

_Could you be any less gentle?_ , Benny wanted to say, but his face was enough to clue Arcade in. 

Arcade defended himself, „I never said I was a doctor. People just keep mistaking me for one because I wear a labcoat … “ 

Benny’s expression changed into something resigned, kind of pathetic. 

“You’re not gonna come back”

Arcade waited for another sentence, but that was apparently all Benny had to say. He wanted to reassure him, comfort him, make his intentions clear, but he couldn’t because he had no intentions. He had no idea what he’d be doing, he didn’t even know what he was doing right now.

They looked at each other’s exhausted faces, until Benny broke eye contect, lips forming a thin line, face scrunching up into a grimace, probably in pain. Probably.

And for once Arcade just went with his instincts and left. 

_-*-_-*-_ -*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*

Well. Cazadors sure lay a lot of eggs. 

They are also not fit for delicate tactical strategies. 

Once arrived at the nest (and euphoric as hell that it was actually still there), he had to rely on his stealth, but also on the right timing to drop all caution and lead the legion right into their trap. 

For short: It didn’t quite turn out how he wanted. Stealth had never been his A-game and cazadors are scary. 

So by the time he started to make himself more noticeable to the ever approaching legion, he realized two things and tried to react to both. 

One: The Courier walking right at the front of that legion with a facial expression that could potentially convey joyous glee, but in the situation it was placed in, only made Arcade question how he could have ever labelled that face a friendly one in the first place.

Two: Something colored in a beautiful mix of orange and crimson started to choke his vision, fluttering not more than half a metre above him. 

Fuck. Fucking hell. 

He felt the sting before the Cazador’s poker entered his lower abdomen. 

This was the conclusion of Arcade Gannon. He’d like to thank you all of you for coming to his presentation. 

Next, of course, he’d like to thank one very special person, someone whose actual name he still didn’t know. 

Then again, maybe she wasn’t a person. 

Always felt more like one of those securitrons to him. Only she was programmed to persevere and that only. 

She seemed kind enough, didn’t she. 

Sitting around the fire, chatting about this and that – she _seemed_ like a person. 

What a disaster of a Thursday afternoon all this turned out to be. 

The last thing he felt were arms under him. Strong, short arms, and the flicker of black and white checkered cloth.

_-*-_-*-_ *-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*

„Benny, you holding up?“ He whispered to his right, where the personification of human misery had manifested physically. 

Benny wasn’t holding up, because since their last mishap he had counted every bump on the road the brahmin wagon encountered. Right now the blue patches on his back must have amounted to at least 200, give or take another 100. 

„Benny.“ 

That made his eyes light up, and Arcade managed to hide his blushing. Not very well, but he managed. “Thank you for taking control of the situation”, Arcade continued, quieter, gentler, “What with that cazador taking me out” Barely audible, he added: “I probably shouldn’t have left you … with the cacti … I’m sorry.” „Yeah well I’m **not** sorry. Next time your sorry behind is countin‘ on me you can bet that same sorry behind I’m leaving _you_ with the cacti!!“ 

The words sounded like they’d sting on paper, but the way Benny said it made Arcade’s face hurt. He didn’t need to be grinning right now, but Arcade couldn’t help it, “Thank you” “Already said that”, Benny grunted, obviously exhausted from talking this much with a literal hole in his face. And for some stupid reason, he still continued on: “Bastard.” „Let’s be civil about this - “, Arcade replied, now using his own fake-offended tone.

And they were actually very civil about this, and sometime later, camping out in a deserted cave at the edge of civilization, they came to an even greater understanding. 

“We escaped not one, not two, NO, we survived THREE whole things in one single day!”, Benny announced, “I’m officially declaring this partnership a good one!”

“Well thank my lucky stars”, Arcade huffed, but his chest couldn’t help warming up a bit at the sentiment. They _did_ actually survive a whole day, getting chased by various unstoppable forces trying to off them. 

Free they were not, still, but it was a positive developement. He wanted to express as much with words, but after turning his head he saw the bastard was actually asleep. 

And what a handsome bastard the guy was. Arcade could finally stare at him, and he didn’t even bother trying to feel ashamed of it. Sun burns, various knife and laser wounds and blue and green patches peppered Benny’s face, but underneath all that he finally looked calm, his head cradled into his arms, all curled up, like a newborn gecko, almost cute like or something- STOP IT ARCADE. 

Arcade willed his eyes back to the little fire they had ignited, some smelly leftover bug parts still roasting on a stick that probably used to be a car antenna. 

No actually, staring at Benny was probably still the nicer pastime and so he did.

**Author's Note:**

> I just hope i can keep this flame going, I don't have very high hopes of finishing this :'D


End file.
